HomeMade EASY~TO~MAKE THINGS FOR YOUR GARDEN ken braren

HomeMade HomeMade HomeMade 101 EASY~TO~MAKE THINGS FOR YOUR GARDEN, HOME, OR FARM By Ken Braren Roger Griffith The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical info.

HomeMade

101 EASY~TO~MAKE THINGS FOR YOUR

GARDEN, HOME, OR FARM

By Ken Braren & Roger Griffith

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony

with the environment.

© 1977 by Storey Publishing, LLC

Designed, with cover, by Trezzo/Braren Studio Illustrations by Ken Braren

All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced without writtenpermission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote briefpassages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; normay any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording, or other—without written permission from thepublisher

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our

knowledge All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part ofthe author or Storey Publishing The author and publisher disclaim anyliability in connection with the use of this information For additional

information, please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way,North Adams, MA 01247

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Printed in the United States by Versa Press

1919- joint author II Title.

TH153.B65

690′.8       77.2887

Outdoor Storage Bins

Indoor Storage Bins

Tomato Ripening Unit

To anyone with a green thumb who has ever held a hammer

Never should you say: “I’d like that, but I never could build it.” Havefaith in your own abilities, and test them as well Most of these projects aresimple to build You don’t need the skills and experience of a carpenter, norhis array of power tools Common sense is helpful, and should steer you asyou fit some of these ideas to your own individual needs As for tools, thebasic hand tools are all that are needed.

Perhaps you will study one of these pages, then say to yourself, “I know

an even better way of building that.” Or, after you look through this book,you may say, “They should have included a ” boxtrap or a children’sswing or something else used in the home or garden or on the farm Youmay remember some favorite project and wish it could have been included

in this book What do you do if this happens? Write to Garden Way

Publishing, Pownal, VT 05261 In that way you can be a contributor in ournext printing of this book

Only two of us are listed as authors of this book, and that listing is notquite true Friends, neighbors, relatives, Garden Way Publishing authors, allhave contributed, in the hopes that these ideas and solutions to problemswill be passed along to you, and make your life a little easier or more

pleasant To all of them we owe our thanks

KEN BRAREN

ROGER GRIFFITH

Part 1

EASY~TO~MAKE THINGS FOR YOUR HOME

Before you go too far into this book, selecting projects that will simplifylife for you, look over the next few pages There are some suggestions thatmight make work on those future projects a little easier

The first one is this sawhorse There’s nothing fancy about it, but it hasseveral good points And one of them is that the legs are braced in twodirections That makes it a steady sawhorse, guaranteed not to wiggle andtwist when you’re sawing on it

For a sturdier model, make the legs of 2″×4″s, and inset them one inchinto the 2″×6″ top

Two of these can be handy, as legs for a temporary workbench, or tohold lengthy lumber for sawing

Carpenter’s Tool Box

Scrap one-inch lumber and a sturdy dowel—or a section of a broom handle

—and you’re ready to build this carpenter’s tool box Load it up in yourworkshop with the tools you need for that job at the other end of the house,

or somewhere outside, and chances are you will save yourself a trip or twoback to the shop Designed by the Extension Service at Michigan StateCollege, this tool box is strong, pleasing in appearance and a good size—asaw will fit in comfortably

The dowel can be fixed into place by drilling holes through the endpieces, then glueing the dowel in position

If you’re the kind who loses tiny tools such as drill bits, make a

compartment or two at one end of this tool box If the partition for the

compartment is no more than three inches high, it will not interfere with theplacement of larger tools

A workbench is a must It should be big enough to handle a variety of jobs,sturdy enough so that you never think about its strength, and not so fancythat you hesitate to use it for fear you may mar it

This one fills all of those requirements It is six feet long, 28½ incheswide, which is a good working size If you bolt together the 2″×4″ frame,instead of using nails, it will be sturdy And the Masonite quarter-inchtempered presdwood top and shelf will take a lot of abuse, and can be cutfrom one 4′×6′ panel

As you will note in the drawing, all of the lumber required for this iseasily obtained, being either 2″×4″ or 2″×10″ Three pieces of 2″×10″ eachsix feet long, are needed for the top

Basement Closet

That space under the basement stairs is usually wasted, or is a catchall forunwanted or unmended articles

A common way to get maximum use from this closet is to install

shelving in the rear, leaving the front open for storage of larger things.Drop a plumb line from the top end of each stringer, and mark the spots

on the basement floor as the front corners of the closet Use 2″×4″s, withthe four-inch side down, to outline the base of the closet Secure them withexpansion bolts in the concrete Uprights, again made of 2″×4″s, are placedfrom the end of the base to the top of the stringers, with the top of the

2″×4″s cut at an angle to fit to the slant of the stringer If a door is to beincluded, its framing should be built now Also uprights should be placedabout midway the length of the closet, again cut at a diagonal on top to fitthe slant of the stringer Careful placement of them will eliminate non-essential cutting of plywood or hardwood sides which will be 4′×8′ sheets.Unless stairs are closed in, a slanting closet back should be fitted in underthe stairs Before closing in closet, nail 2″×4″s between uprights, on eitherside, and use one-inch tongue-and-groove stock for shelving where it isdesired Installation of a light fixture will dramatically increase the

convenience of this big storage space

Potting Bench

Whether you are repotting that old begonia or shifting 100 tomato plantsfrom flats to peat pots, a work space is invaluable, and makes the job apleasure On this and succeeding pages are suggestions for your gardenwork center equipment

A potting bench is a must—and don’t have it double for any other

purpose or it will be a cluttered nuisance Here are two models suggested bythe California Redwood Association people One is free-standing The othercan be built to be fastened to the 2″×4″s in your garage or another

outbuilding Build either to the height you prefer (32″-36″ is usually aboutright) and make it roomy in depth, yet not so wide it is difficult to reachacross Four feet is a convenient length Make it rugged—two-inch thickmaterial is best On the free-stand model, a shelf underneath will providestorage space (great for those extra clay pots) and brace the bench as well

Sandpaper Block

Ever had a big sandpapering job, and wound up sandpapering your

knuckles better than the wood to be sandpapered?

If so, you’ll appreciate the suggestion of Bruce Williamson of Charlotte,

Vt Bruce used two pieces of 1×4, about six inches long He fastened themtogether with two pieces of an old belt acting as hinges Then he hammeredabout six finishing nails through the top piece of 1×4, so that the pointscame out in the center of this board sandwich Next he cut a piece of

sandpaper that would wrap around the lower block, and the ends could bepositioned between the two blocks He shut the top piece to the lower piece,and the nails held the sandpaper in place while he went to work, knucklesfree of sandpapering

Brush Cleaner

Here are two hints that will make your handyperson work a lot easier

When you look for a paint brush, do you find paint-hardened veterans, orbrushes that you left to soak, and now they have bristles that are curled andruined? You need this little money-saver, so you don’t rush out for a newbrush for each paint job

Cut a seven-inch receptacle like the one shown by removing the topsection of a gallon varnish can Notch facing sides Drill holes in the

handles of your brushes, just above the ferrule Put a round metal rod orpiece of heavy wire that won’t bend through the holes, and set them in yourpan, into which you will put a half-and-half mixture of turpentine and

linseed oil This of course should be used only for brushes used when apainting project is interrupted for a few days

For storage of brushes, clean them, generally with the material used as athinner for your paint, then hang them up to dry To clean out oil paints,varnishes and enamel, use turpentine, then detergent in water; for lacquer,use lacquer thinner or acetone; for shellac use denatured alcohol, then soapand water; for water-type paints, use clear water or water and detergent.Nylon brushes sometimes are more difficult to clean Work out the paint byusing the proper thinner, and brushing on newspapers, then use the thinner

to clean the brush Overnight soaking in the thinner is recommended ifcleaning is difficult

Wood Stove Heater

You’ll see all kinds on the market, gadgets that remove heat from the

stovepipe before it escapes up the chimney Some are very effective; somecan be dangerous since they interfere with the smooth flow of gases up thechimney Here’s one you can make yourself, and quickly, too, since all ofthe parts are bought at your friendly stovepipe store Needed are two T-pipes, four elbows, and two short sections of stovepipe to connect the

elbows on either side You’ll have to work out the dimensions yourself to fityour situation This can be improved by installing a small electric fan

directly behind the square space framed by the stovepipe

Firewood Brace

We’ve all done it We’ve carefully piled up firewood, braced at one end by

a wall or something equally firm The pile looked just fine for one day—then someone took a piece of wood from it, and down rolled the wood fromthe unbraced end Here’s a brace that will let you avoid that Our

homesteader in Hudson, Maine, who suggested this said to use a rugged2″×6″ board, sawing to provide a 36″ upright and an 18″ base Nail themtogether, but get the strength from the diagonal support He used a piece of1″×3″, and attached it with heavy wood screws that would support the

weight He uses this on his back porch

If you want a dull chainsaw and a sore back, cut up logs while they are

lying on the ground This sawbuck, pictured in Larry Gay’s Heating with

Wood, can be made in only a few minutes and will save you hours of effort

and headache Use sturdy materials, 2″×8″ is good, and link the two endswith two cross pieces It will last a lifetime of hard work if bolted togethersecurely

Fuel Sled

Here are some projects for the family that is saving money and fossil fuel

by using wood for heating

If you’re moving small logs before cutting them, a sled of some kind is amust A children’s sled is too small and fragile for much of a load; a

toboggan won’t carry very much

This sled (see illustration) was designed and built by Rockwell Stephens,

author of One Man’s Forest The runners are old hickory skis (cheap at any

auction), cut down to four feet in length A three-foot block of sturdy

hardwood, at least 2″×8″, is fastened to each ski to raise the load the 8″-plusabove the snow or ground Stephens bolted two pieces of 4″×4″ oak, aboutthree feet in length, to the raised runners as cross pieces to carry the load

He fastened a heavy ring bolt through the center of the front cross member,and uses a short length of light chain, or with small loads, a length of half-inch rope, to secure the load Purchasing the wood for this could be

expensive; you should use what you have or can find Just make sure it’sdurable and strong

Stovewood Holder

Dave Crane of Garden Way Research says a rack like this, built of 1½ or2¼″ pipe, can either be welded or made from plumbing fixtures This one isabout 4′ tall and 5′ long, with 6″ legs so the chips and sawdust that fall fromthe logs can be swept up from underneath Make yours to fit in your spacefor wood storage It’s handier than an old-fashioned woodbox, and neater,too

Wood Box

This “inside-outside” wood box was designed by Peter Coleman, an authorfor Garden Way Publishing In a home where wood is being burned it is amust, since it will save miles of carrying each winter for the wood box-filler, it will prevent the loss of heat caused by going in and out during

wood-carrying trips, and there will be no tracking in of sawdust, snow andother debris Peter suggests the inside door be about two by two feet, and upoff the floor for easier unloading The woodbox on the outside must besturdy, to take the hammering of loads of stovewood The top should besloped to let rain water drain off—and the box itself shouldn’t be wheresnow will slide from the roof into it Peter also suggests insulating withstyrofoam in coldest climates Insulating the doors inside will do much tokeep out the cold As alternative, roof can be hinged

Fireplace Front

Bill Nawrath pondered a common fireplace problem The evening fire waspleasant, but he knew he would have to leave the damper open all night,losing expensive heat

The next day he built this fireplace front First he cut a piece of asbestosboard exactly the right size to fit the fireplace opening Then he cut a piece

of medium gauge galvanized metal, four inches wider and two inches

higher than the asbestos sheet He lined these up so the two sheets wereflush across the bottom, and with a two-inch overhang on the other threesides Then he fastened the two together, spacing out nine quarter-inchstove bolts and placing a washer on each side of the sheets of each bolt

“Use more bolts if a lighter gauge metal is used,” he advises He also

attached two decorative handles near the top

Bill added a 1″ angle iron on the bottom, with the angle iron giving

strength to the asbestos-galvanized metal sandwich and preventing it fromwarping This angle iron is drilled so that it can be attached to the fireplacefront with ½″ stove bolts

Bill suggests two ways of attaching this to the fireplace, so that it will be

as airtight as possible

He used a foot-long piece of ¼″ rod bent twice (see illustration) then put

through a hole bored in the top center of the metal-asbestos plate so that therod will stretch up behind the chimney bricks when twisted, thus holdingthe screen snugly against the fireplace He used washers on the front andback of the screen to make the crank turn more easily Another method is toinstall metal buttons, anchoring them to the fireplace brick as shown in theillustration Then the screen is put in place and held there with a twist of thefour buttons